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I Hate the Phillie Phanatic

In fact, I am not very happy about mascots in general.I think they take away from the game on the field.

One of the worst incidents was perpetrated by the Phillie Phanatic.The Dodgers were in town to play the Phillies and somehow, it got ahold of one of my jerseys.It took the jersey, put it on a dummy and ran over the dummy again and again.

That type of a display should not be shown in ballparks, especially in front of children.It exhibits violence and disrespect.

I pulled the Phanatic aside and said, ?Why don?t you run over a dummy with a Phillies jersey??

I called the front office of the Phillies and told them how I felt.They can play with kids in the stands, but running over the dummy was simply wrong, and that kids would get the wrong impression.Apparently, they didn?t care.

The next time we were in Philadelphia, I confronted the Phanatic.I told it not to use my jersey anymore, and so the next time he did, I was forced to act.I went right up to it and body slammed it to the turf.

I often wondered how it got my jersey, and then I found out how. Steve Sax would give it the jerseys because my players thought it was a funny thing to do.

71 Comments

I love your take on the Phillie Phanatic! I totally agree with you on this, Tommy. Ever since the San Diego Chicken, the “Green Monster” (Red Sox), Lou Seal (Giants), and the Phillie Phanatic have taken over the diamond in between innings, it tells you that baseball has indeed lost its ways. Since the 70s, we’ve seen multi-purposed stadiums come and go, weird uniforms (which indeed I hope you also know that in 1977, the Dodgers were one of 4 teams who stuck with button downs n’ white home and away gray), and mascots. Boy, baseball is going through a revitalization process, in which everyones goin back to the “past time”…but for some reason, mascots have survived this revitalization! Totally WRONG! The Angels, as good as they are, have a 10 inch primate to tell fans when to cheer. That’s NOT LA Baseball. Back to Philadelphia, I don’t know WHAT they thought at the time they made up the Phillie Phanatic to tell you the truth. Let me say this though…it takes the fan’s free will to whether or not to cheer. We don’t need a scoreboard to tell us to (I pity the Dodger Stadium scoreboards and ribbon boards which tell us to cheer even if its the 9th inning and we’re down 10-0), and I’ll be damned if a mascot tried to inspire the hearts of 50,000+ ppl! Thanks TOMMY!! You’re always right!!

I have to respectfully disagree. I don’t see the reasoning for getting all worked up over a mascot. Cartoons are MUCH more violent and kids see that exponentially more than a baseball game. (If you were being sarcastic in your rant, then this comment doesn’t apply…)

The park is suppose to be fun and exciting. Sometimes the games are less than exciting or even have two lousy teams chasing their tails at the end of a miserable season. So the Phillie Phanatic takes your uniform, parades it on a doll and stomps it. At least it got dirty, which is more than some of those multi-millionaire players’ uniforms did that night.

Watching and playing baseball was the best way to pass time for me. As of the last few years, as I have matured past my teens and 20’s, I don’t see the lovable players or the heady veterans I use to. What I see is a bunch of

lackluster, overpriced arrogant players that have it in for the fans that support their families in a state of luxury. I don’t go to the park anymore because OF THAT.

If the mascots are a bit raucous toward the manager’s uni, I’d hope on the flipside the players could perform something other than lip service to the game they supposedly love and get paid highly to perform in, not PHONING IT IN like I see out of many of the premier players.

It’s a performance – appreciate the value in doing it well – then I’ll come back.

For the fans that see the glass half full, enjoy paying 50, 75 or 100 dollars for a good seat at a crappy game.

wow! jt must really hate his life. let me let you in on a little something, tommy is right. ballgames are about ball, not furry green idiots. and another thing, if you could do what those players CAN do, then it would be you getting paid the big dough. somehow i don’t think you’d be giving it back or volunteering for pay cuts or offering it up to fans in the seats. have you ever gone through 162 games in 185 days? its not as easy as it looks. so the next time you see a guy like milton bradley make a diving catch or caeser izturis make one of those sick throws from the hole at short, don’t cheer, because you don’t think ballgames are exciting. that’s MY rant.

Stay off my Phanatic. Without him, what would Phillies phans have to cheer about these past 25 years? Until I get to cheer for them winning a pennant, let me have fun watching my phanatic’s antics. Love ‘em and can’t do without ‘em.

Mr. Lasorda-
Can you please calm down, I mean I see you all the time around the ballpark at Dodger Stadium and the fact that you are frequently rude to seven and eight year olds who want you to sign a baseball and talk to them. You shrug off old forty year old fans, who ask you about your great career with a frown. I think that behavior is worse than the Philly Phanatic. You seem to look very respectful and kind in the public eye, like all of those Dodger public events, but when people actually get to meet you behind the public camera, you are often rude and disrespectful to them. When I was about eight years old around 1998, before FOX took over this franchise, I had the honor to speak with you in the Club Level and ask you to sign a baseball for me. You shook my hand and as I offered my left hand, being a young kid, you told me to shake with my right hand. You told me that in all your years as a manager in the big leagues, you could determine how great a player would be by how strong their handshake was. It was a proud moment for me and you officially became my hero. But, as the years moved on by, and as I had the privledge to sit in the club level and watch you around the park, you have been not worthy of the distinction as “Mr. Dodger”. Many times I have seen you block away people in the seventh inning as you leave the ballpark, saying, “I got to go”. And then, in the public eye, you tell people that Dodger fans are so great…Over the years, your autograph has changed into a messy scrawl and you don’t even smile most of the time. I would strongly suggest, sir, that you can be a “Mr. Dodger” even if the public isn’t watching. I also have a lot of people that agree with me, that regularly sit in the Club Level and are disgusted to see your behavior.

Mr. Tommy Lasorda-
Can you stop being a hipocrit, I mean you just said how it was bad for the Phille Phanatic to step all over your jersey, and then you said that you body slammed the Phille Phanatic in front of everyone. Let’s see, I think it is more violent to attack someone or something in front of children then stand on your jersey. I totally agree with dodgerssteven91@yahoo.com and you really need to get your act together…

Tommy,
You’re a funny guy. You hate the Phanatic? You must hate fun too. I’ll tell you what was fun: watching the Phanatic get you so angry. Why do you think he targeted you so much? Because you were so bothered by it. Everyone else in baseball had a sense of humor about it, except you.

You’re just a grumpy old man. Even Fletch hates you. So sad.

Get over it. The Phanatic was more entertaining than the Dodgers ever were anyway.

Tommy, You’re the biggest phony and hypocrite in professional sports Pete Rose is 100 times a better ambassador to the sport than you are. Stop alienating the people that paid your salary for years and treat baseball fans with more respect than you do.

You know thats really funny Tommy. You don’t think the mascot beating up a dummy is appropriate for the children but the professional baseball player manager beating up the mascot is fine. what a joke i would like to see if you would even be in the hall of fame if you were the phillies manager back then. probably wouldn’t have many world series rings without guys like Eckersley or Kirk Gibson. nope you probably would have been booed out of town because you would actually have to do some managing since you wouldn’t have a team with several future hall of famers. my point, LA may have more division titles and world series than the phillies but they don’t have a hall of fame mascot that has entertained generations of fans through all of the heart breaking and mediocre years. so show some respect to your fellow hall of famer tommy, he deserves to be there more than you do.

You’re an idiot! You completely contradict yourself here. You object to the Phanatic running over a dummy of you, yet it’s OK to “body slam” the Phanatic? In which scenerio can someone actually get hurt? I guess you were setting a good example for all the kids, too.

Mascots don’t take away from the game. Kid enjoy them, and it makes coming to the ballpark part of the fun for them. Tommy, there have GOT to be other things to get upset about in this world. Murder, drug addiction, robbery, but not the Phillie Phanatic.

The Phillies have had little to cheer about in their 122 year history, so lay off the Phanatic. He adds some much needed joy to the otherwise frustrated life of a die hard Phillies fan.

Tommy! You’re right mascots DO take away from the game. I would rather have Cheerleaders, like the Angels used to have. Who wants to see Ozzy Canseco ..I mean the Philly Phanatic run around with your smelly underwear when a hot 20 year old or a very cute teen can throw T-shirts at you! YO! FRANK McCORT TWO WORDS DODGER GIRLS!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!! I always suspected Steve Sax was a frequent West Hollyweird clubber!
GO GIANTS!!!!

Hey Fanatic lovers,if you had ateam with a winning tradition,as the Dodgers do. You would realize that people go to games to watch their team win baseball games. Good teams don’t need mascots, but you would;nt know that because you are Phillies fans.

Tommy, don’t let these fanatic mascot loving bums put you down. You’re always gonna be Mr. Dodger and those of us with long memories of your service to the team, the fans and the league are forever grateful. As said, good teams don’t need mascots (glad we ditched that dumb Koala bear in the early 80’s).

A side story if you might listen for a bit. I was in attendance at Dodger Stadium in what would be that unscheduled but official last game on June 23, 1996 with that fateful follow-up day of June 24th rewriting Dodger history books forever. We were all praying for you to pull through at the time and were happy to see you eventually come back to the game with that same Dodger spirit just weeks later. Even in retirement as manager of the Dodgers, I do rememebr you on a couple occasions that last summer of ’96 doing some cool things for the fans. After many night games, win or lose, me and the high school Dodger buddies would almost always hang around the player parking lot – well what used to be the old players parking lot behind the left field Pavillion (bleachers). We knew where you, the other coaches and the broadcast guys parked but normally didn’t bother you coming out to go home after the game. But on one of those post-game nights sometime after the heart attack we decided to wait for you to come out after the game on that next level up. Not only did you come out and greet us few fans waiting around in the parking lot, not only did you give out and sign some autographs with friendly chatting with us fans, youwent a little further. After takig some time up by your car, you and the Mrs actually drove your car down to where the rest of the much larger fan masses were waiting by the players parking lot and proceeded to get out of your car, walk around to the popped trunk and hand out free Dodger merchandise and memorabilia (including some nice bats) to the crowd. I think we lost the game that night so it was an added moral boost to the dedicated fans still sticking around that night. One of my best memories as a young Dodger fan growing up in L.A. and since I never got to actually thank you for that special night, I’m doing so now.

The other more modern favorite memory for me is from “Boo Tommy Lasorda Day” in 1998 at PacBell Park up here in San Francisco. It was the second home game ever at PacBell Park during the opening homestand of the opening season. At first I couldn’t believe you, Tommy Lasorda, had agreed to take part in such a SF Giants sponsored event! Had good field level seats that evening so what a rush it was to be one of the True Blue Dodger fans up close to the grass in a sea of orange and brown cheering on Tommy as he rode around the perimeter of the field to a chorus of synchronized boos! That to me symbolized your dedication to the sport through the spirit of the game even if there was a lotta antilove in the park that day! This was still the very same Tommy Lasorda we all grew up to love through the good years (mid ’70’s through mid ’90’s) and I refuse to think that anything has changed. Keep up the good blogs Tommy…

Tommy – I’m sure you’ll never forget that 22-inning game against the Expos in Montreal years back when you had Youppi! ejected from the game. Of course, Youppi reappeared a few innings later on top of the Expos dugout.

It’s hard for me to read these comments insulting Tommy because he’s been my hero my whole life.

I was born with blue blood…. but I have to say, going to the ballpark is an ever-increasing disappointment. I live in Canada, so I only make it down every few years…. and this summer when I went, the stadium felt different. I’m a 20 year old girl and for the life of me, I couldn’t get even close to any of the players. I remember being a little girl at Vero Beach with my daddy and being able to shake hands, get autographs, and just talk with the players. That’s all gone now. When I was just at Dodger stadium (and came ALL that way), I waved to a player and the security guard told me to go away…

I know I will never meet the Dodger greats like Koufax, Scully, or Lasorda. How disappointing! You put your heart and soul into the team and it get completely over-looked. Of course no matter what, my love will never die… but still. I guess it’s fans like us that keep the pride of the Dodger blue alive.

What these fans who are commenting above don’t realize is that it’s them that’s causing all the problems in baseball. THEY are the reason why ballplayers don’t want to interact with the fans. It’s heartbreaking.

I’m not there for the mascots. I’m not there for the blinking lights. And believe it or not, I’m not even there for the Dodger Dogs. I’m there for the baseball. I go because I love the game of baseball. My cell phone is always turned off, I never leave my seat for food or drinks, and I never use the game as a social hour…. I love & crave the stats, I love every pitch… THAT is what we, as ball fans, should be focused on. The game. Not the hype around it.

Anyways. Sorry about the rant. Tommy, you rock. To me, you represent what it is to be a Dodger. You make me proud to say that the Dodgers are MY team. I have so much respect for you… and not to put down Tracy, but I honestly pray for the day that you take over his job. You were amazing! You still are.

Tommy–what you wrote is so fitting about baseball. It is a game of passions and emotion. Granted, there are worse things to hate in the world, mascots really shouldn’t be one of them. But, that is old time baseball. Rivalries, competition, love and hate. Today, everything is cookie-cutter. When I grew up back in the 70’s if you bought bubble gum with baseball cards in them–you threw away the one’s from your rivals–regardless if they were “worth” anything. I hate the Dodgers–always have. My brother-in-law came back from a business trip where he went to an autograph session. He was so excited because he knew what a huge baseball fan I was. He said, “Hey, I got you an autograph from a famous baseball guy!” I was excited thinking it would be from my beloved BoSox. Nope–it was yours. I said keep it–I hate the Dodgers–I don’t want it. And I never took it–don’t know what he did with it. Nothing really personal against you, honestly. That was just how things used to be. You stood for what you liked, and stood against what you didnt. Nowadays kids by boxes of baseball cards at a time–seal them and keep them to see how much they’re worth. No passion–disassociated greed. I could have kept your autograph–but I didn’t WANT it. The same thing with you hating the Phanatic–the Phillies were your rivals in the playoffs–you hated them. That’s cool. It is actually OK to dislike your opponent–that is what they are called opponent instead of proponent–they are against you. And I understand the Phanatic for what he did, it sounded funny–as did your slam against him. I think mascots do have a place in sports–it is called entertainment. The mascot just gets the people revved up for their team. They make people laugh etc etc. Come on, go to any minor league game and that is 60% of the game–showmanship. T-shirts, mascots, kids running around the bases–that is fun. If it is just about the game–stop going to those ridiculous autograph signing sessions where you charge kids $$$ for your scroll–now THAT is hateful.

Tommy, First you bash the Mascot then you bring up tradition for your beloved Dodgers. You want to talk Tradition? I am one of many many St. Louis Cardinals Fans who love the Phanatic. He entertains kids and he gives the fans in Philly a little something extra for their buck. We pride ourselves on our passion and being the best, purist fans in the country and we enjoy the Phanatic. What we can’t stand is ex managers who get Fanatical about topics they have no business discussing, becaus etehy have no idea what the fans enjoy because they never bother actually to see anything through a fans eyes. Stick to infomercials and the buffet line. If you want to help the sport and the fans lets discuss a certain Californian named Bonds and how to fix that. Last time I checked the Philly Phanatic was not tied to Balco..Just a thought… good luck Philly and the Phanatic see you in the NLDS.

Tommy talks about mascots ruining the game and doing things that are offensive. It is very funny that this comes from a man who has yelled at children asking for autograph requests in Vero Beach during Spring Training. He is a bitter old man and is just jealous that the Phanatic looks better then him without having to digest many cans of Slim Fast. “Give us a week we’ll take off the weight!” Unless there are 1.6 billion days in a week, Tommy is still the same fat bitter old man. I hear Santa is looking for an understudy Tommy. Send him your resume!!!!!!!!!!

I wish to concur in the remarks of dodgerssteven91 which discussed the conduct of Tommy Lasorda when the cameras weren’t on him.

I had a similar experience. I grew up in Southern California and listened to, and attended, Dodger games for decades. Tommy Lasorda walked on water, as far as I was concerned. Since that time, however, I have moved to Northern California. I attended a San Francisco Giants game last summer against the Detroit Tigers. To my surprise and delight, I saw Tommy Lasorda walk down the aisle at the end of the row where I was seated directly behind home plate to get down onto the field. He took his time to get down the aisle to the field and, once there, was speaking very casually to various persons. When he turned around and looked back up into the stands, I held up my two children’s baseball mitts and gestured to him to ask if he would be willing to autograph them. He gave me a scornful look and shook his head. I was disappointed, but presumed that he must have had responsibilities near the field that were occupying him at the moment.

After Tommy left the field, he slowly returned back up through the stands. As he walked back up the aisle near my seat, I called to him and he looked at me again. I once again held up my children’s mitts and a pen and asked if he would autograph them. Again, he gave me a look that could kill and shook his head vigorously.

Tommy was not in any apparent rush and could have taken a moment for me to give him the mitts to be signed. To say that I was disappointed in Tommy, and that the high esteem in which I had previously held him took a hit, would be a serious understatement. Additionally, he disappointed two young baseball fans. I drew the conclusion that Tommy was not the great fan-loving guy that he has always presented himself to be. When the cameras aren’t on him, and if my experience is representative of the way he acts in other venues, which dodgerssteve’s post would suggest is true, he treats fans with contempt and scorn.

I don’t disagree generally with his remarks about mascots, but I think that his remarks should be viewed in the context of who he appears to really be.

mascots are worthless.to the people interested in idiots running around in big goofy suits, stay home and watch barney or perhaps sesame street. if you actually wanted to watch baseball, that is what a game is for. not mascots.

I believe that the Phanatic isn’t the only mascot Monsieur Lasorda dislikes… try Youppi!

The longest game in Expos history had this story: it was in extra innings, score was tied for eternity between Dodgers and Expos. All of a sudden the Montreal mascot was doing his routine on top of the Dodger dugout, prompting Monsieur Lasorda to complain to the head umpire about the noise on his roof. So this first happened: the umpire threw out a mascot from a ball game!!!!! Then in the top of the 22nd inning, Rick Dempsey hit a homer and secured the Dodgers’ win, a 1-0 game. It happened august 23rd 1989 and I was among the faithful that was at Olympic Stadium.

But I’m sure monsieur Lasorda misses Montreal this year, as there is no major league baseball in the city anymore, thanks to the dimwits who had a hand in destroying what was to become a great team.

It all started august 11th, 1994… You’d tell me to get over it? I am over it! Just reminiscing about the good old days. Hope someday Monsieur Lasorda will write a blog about his days as a Montreal Royal, the team’s winningest pitcher in club history!

Hey Tommy, as a “True Blue Dodgers fan” I got this to say…CHILL MAN !! Yeah, our Dodgers have way too much history and tradition to use a mascot to divert attention away from the game, but mascots are nothing new in any sport, whether it be college or professional, in fact, I think they add to the in-game entertainment, especially for the kids and the kids at heart. Heck, I’m willing to bet that if I started a thread here in what the best mascot in baseball is, I’d get a lot of responses. Oh yeah, as for your Bleeding Blue act, while yeah you’ve had a great career as our skipper, I have to agree with some of the posters here that it’s all just an act. I’ve talked to other fans as well who have said that once the cameras are off, you’ve shunned them away like they’re nobodies. Though you’re act may fly with many here in LA, a town who knows about phoniness, to what may be your surprise, there are a lot of Dodgers fans too that while they many not admit it, know to well of your act. Heck, I’ve come across Milton Bradley a few times and even he has been polite enough to say hi and sign for his fans. Perhaps you could take a cue from Uncle Milty?

You are poop. You disrespect the Dodgers and the game of baseball. Kevin Malone is a better Dodger than you. It’s time for you to go to the old folks home and drool in your ravioli. You were just jealous because the Phanatic weighs less than you, lardo. Once, you made my sister cry because you wouldn’t sign her ball. You are a jerk. You should go ask Barry Bonds to give you a manners lesson.

To me the mascot is a marketing tool and public relations things because to some, watching baseball is borning so if you add a mascot or music, it just highins the awareness of the fans of baseball who are at the game.

My favorite Dodger moment: Oct. 14, 1985: Smith socks the first left-handed home run of his career, off Tom Niedenfuer of the Dodgers, in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. The dinger puts the Cards in command of the series, which they go on to win two days later in Los Angeles. Jack Buck’s call — “Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!” is at least as famous as the home run, 20 years later.

Dearest Tommy, To me, you Mr. Baseball. I lived in LA until I was 18. I am now 52. I have been a Dodger fan for 52 years. Always have been, always will be. I live in Houston now, went to every Dodger game in Houston to root for my Dodgers. Also went to a Diamondbacks game to root for Sean Green and attended a Florida game to root for LoDuca. I am distressed to see that Tracey is now gone. Yes, the Dodgers did have many injuries; however, if they still had LoDuca and Green, they would have been a better team. Podesta is the one who needs to be GONE, NOT Tracey. I look forward to the day that my Dodgers are again World Series Champs.

Dear Tom Lasorda.
I am very happy to see that Paul de Podesta was fired. He was the responsible for all the bad the Dodges were this year. This is a time for celebration and hope we have a good GM next year and that de Podesta would be sent to China, or Irak.

Don’t let them get to you Tommy. It is unfourtunate that baceball has become so commercial. I remember back when Nancy Bea used to play her organ between innings… now they play Hip-Hop & Metal music. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of BOTH musics, but NOT in a Baseball Stadium.
Oh… and for juanmfierrojr@yahoo.com the Giants fan……GIANTS ****! Let’s see how well your team of bay city losers do without the poster-boy for steroids & cheating! ps, we’ve been kicking your a$$eS for 115 years! GO BIG BLUE!

Tommy why are you so upset? That is typical behavior from the city of brotherly love. I am surprised that you did not expect this. Especially from a guy who worked in Brooklyn for so long. But if you want to see something really ugly, wear a Giants jersey to an Eagles game or local bar. Trust me; it won?t be a dummy they run over.

Odd that you would be so morally troubled with the Phanatic’s farsical depiction of violence that you would respond with actual violence. While on the topic of what should or should not be shown to children, that fall of yours in the 2001 All-Star game is classic comedy. If only the Phanatic could land with such grace.

tommy, just read your blog today, about you hating the phillie phanatic, and any mascots. maybe if the dodgers had a mascot, who is as funny as the phanatic, more dodger fans would get to the game in the 1st inning, not the 3rd. i’m not putting down all dodger fans, but there are alot of empty seats until the 3rd inning.

That’s funny…you are explaining to all the kids reading your blog that these mascots aren’t ok because they display violence on the field, and as a result of this disdain for violence, you promptly beat the mascot up….You would be a good activists…here’s one for you…get a bunch of kids together and have a seminar about how video games are violent, and to demonstrate your distaste for the violence in the games, let the kids throw purchased copies through the windows of the developer’s cars…yay

What’s more funny is the Dodgers fans claiming that they are real baseball fans because they come to watch the games instead of the mascot…This coming from a group of fans that came late and leave early? How can you leave the NLCS game early? That is breaking a baseball commandment right there…Oie…Wow…Geez…Dodger’s fans will never be able to claim themselves as good fans, it’s a complete contradiction to what a real fan represents. Especially now that you support Manny. Now because he cheated, but because he flaunted his cheating in all of your faces every single day and thought he was to good for any of you…Why do all these clowns ultimately end up L.A.??

Don’t sweat those Chicken Ball Artists, they won’t pitch to good hitters. The Phillies organization has displayed their style of Baseball as being very cowardly and classless to suit their fans there. Very unlike our coveted Dodger blue which is the absolute opposite. That story makes me want to go get Ted Kluszewski to rip the dugout phones out of the wall. That’s the reason that freakish fanatic gets beat up in the stands all the time by the fans. -Rudy Jr

Soooo….. you complain that what the Phanatic did was a display of violence. How is a body slam by a responsible adult against a character that is beloved by children NOT a display of violence? Dude, the California sun has softened your brain. Have another SlimFast there Tommy.

The fans who it was intended for thought it was funny. The man in the costume making the performance thought it was funny. The players on the Phillies thought it was funny. The players on the DODGERS thought it was funny. Gee… if I didn’t know any better, I would have *sworn* you were the only one who DIDN’T find it funny. How can you condemn an animated character for violence and then say you’ll solve it by creating more violence? Doesn’t that seem a little counter-productive? Just a little? Counter-productive like Jonathon Broxton, I suppose. . . .

how do mascots take away from the game? i find the phanatic very entertaining and adds to the “magic” of being at the ball park. i don’t know any baseball fan thats so “in tune” with that game that a mascot can distract them. like, seriously? food isn’t a distraction? or drinking beer? or getting up to go to the bathroom? i think some of you need to lighten up a little bit and just have some fun. i can respect your dislike for mascots, but your logic and reasoning here just doesn’t make any sense. oh, well.

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